| Wednesday 25 January 2006 |
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Mariah's gown of choice
Finally, the secret is out. Mariah Carey wore a skintight B&W satin Chanel gown to the Golden Globe Awards that had been designed and fitted on the sexy songbird in Paris by the house's esteemed head, Karl Lagerfeld. But it turns out that the Chanel frock became Carey's much-needed backup, not the award-winning songbird's first GOC (gown of choice).
Curvy Carey had really wanted to wear an Escada gown also specially made for her. But the gorgeous gown didn't arrive in time for her to wriggle into it and then wiggle to the Globes. Seems the Escada gown was stuck in DHL hell, according to Brian Rennie, Escada's design director, who let the news slip to a West Coast fashion editor last week. Rennie, Escada's Munich-based head design dude, was in Los Angeles last week to show stars his Oscar-worthy gowns, including a $50,000 one-of-a-kind creation inspired by Monet's famous water lily painting.
So now we know the real reason why Chanel's Globes press release (naming actresses in Chanel) didn't include Carey. They were as surprised as Escada was disappointed. No word on what the late arrival Escada looks like. No inside news on color or print. But rest assured, the Escada gown will be worn, say my inside sources. By Mariah? Duh. Otherwise, the alterations would be a nightmare. Maybe at the Grammys? It's possible.
This late dress dilemma happens more often than we know. Earlier this season, Scarlett Johansson's gown for her London "Match Point" premiere reportedly arrived late. So she ended up in a less-than-stellar plaid Dolce & Gabbana shift.
We asked an L.A. PR agency insider why designer gowns are delayed. Is customs scanning the designs for smart bombs, checking for anthrax in the crinoline? Not quite. It's basically a crapshoot. "It all depends on how you ship it," says the insider. "And on who fills out the mailing and customs forms, the weekend, the timing, maybe the weather. It should only take two days but sometimes it's longer. And it's a nightmare when a dress, shoes or jewelry is late." Just ask Carey.
Escada's Rennie definitely got a taste of awards season pressure. "This has turned into a cutthroat business. I've heard stories of stylists being bribed, last minute nightmares and changes," he said in a TV taping last week. Yeah, welcome to our world.
But Escada fans Queen Latifah, Garcelle Beauvais and Jane Seymour, whose "Walk the Line" producer husband, James Keach will be her Oscar escort, were impressed by Escada's gown selection last week. Also popping by the Beverly Hills private estate where Rennie was staying: stylists for Cate Blanchett, Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett. And the word is that "Commander-in-Chief" Geena Davis plans to wear Escada to Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Rennie believes he can make awards dressing simpler and less stressful for everyone involved. "It should be a night to make women feel great. We want to make it easy to dress for these important nights. And I'm here this week to build relationships in a relaxed, easy way and to have time to develop a dress." And hopefully to find a faster international mail system. (Los Angeles Times)
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